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 Gwendolyn Parker, author of Trespassing, asked for seven months of severance when she voluntarily left a prestigious corporate job.
Seven months seems like a vast, open space when you leave the corporate world, especially if you hate your job. But, as Parker discovered, seven months of salary seems a lot less when you're no longer working full-time.
What's your next move?
1. Discuss your resources with a qualified financial advisor. Can you stretch your funds beyond six months? An equity loan? A brokerage margin loan? A short-term jobs?
2. Explore feelings, if need be, with a qualified specialist. Many people grieve lost careers, houses and cities -- even those they hated the most3. Go slow! Sell the house, move to Wyoming and live in a tent? By December, the tent is cold and the bears have confiscated your computer to play hibernation solitaire. "Career winter" indeed.
4. Explore free or low-cost career resources. Check out the Chamber of Commerce, your alumni career center, SCORE, and the unemployment office. If you have trouble staying focused or making a plan, paying your own career coach may be a good investment.
5. Do something fun at least once a day. Take the dog to the park, eat an ice cream sundae, visit a museum. Malls and television are (usually) distracting but not satisfying. Caution: If "fun" has gone from your life and your vocabulary see #2 -- right away.
6. Get physical. Walk, run, work out, play a sport everyday. Exercise creates energy and keeps you healthy.
7. Get creative. Write, paint, and take a ceramics or poetry class. Seems frivolous? No. You'll need to be creative when you plan your next step - Get the juices flowing.
Above all, keep a journal. Life will look very different a year from now and you will be amazed how far you have come and how much you have learned.
About the Author - What do I do After a Job Goes Away?
Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., can help you rebuild, renovate and revitalize your career. *Seven Tips to Mistake-Proof Decisions" |
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